Nancy Calder

Profile At A Glance

Stratford-based Nancy Calder specializes in Still Life and Figure Painting in oil on linen. Prior to joining the Academy of Realist Art as a student and instructor, Nancy was a well-known crafts-person making whimsical plaster-mâché characters. She also studied at the Avenue Road School of Art.

Highlights

2015

“Portrait of Meen” was voted FAV 15% in August 2015 Boldbrush Painting Competition

“Portrait of John” was voted FAV 15% in February 2015 Boldbrush Painting Competition

“Roller Skates” was a finalist in The Artist’s Magazine 32nd Annual Art Competition

Nancy’s second still life –“Blue Butterfly”, another fourth year work at the ARA – was awarded an honourable mention in the 2014 Art Renewal Center’s Annual Salon Competition.

“Blue Butterfly” was given an Honorary Distinction Award in the February 2014 Collection Beaux-Arts Realiste, Montreal Quebec Competition.

2013

“Soup Tureen”, Nancy’s first still life and a fourth-year work at the ARA, was a finalist in the 2013 Art Renewal Center’s Annual Salon Competition.

“Soup Tureen” won third place in The Artist’s Magazine’s Annual Art Competition in the Student Category.

Associations

After the Academy Artists (ATAA)

The Art Renewal Center (ARC)

Oil Painters of America (OPOA)

International Guild of Realism (IGOR)

Biography

Although her journey in the field of fine art didn’t begin until later in life, it was more than rewarding. Nancy enrolled in the Academy of Realist Art in the fall of 2007 and earned her diploma in October 2013. Her education started with graphite, moving into carbon, then charcoal and finally oil paint. Initially Nancy enrolled into the Academy to pursue her love of the human figure but as she progressed through the program she became very fond of painting still life. Nancy taught at the Academy in all levels of the program for two years following her graduation. At present she is a full time artist working from her Stratford, Ontario studio.

Artist’s Statement

“I have always been drawn to realism, to create a sense of life and living from a blank canvas or piece of paper. I find the concept of realism, absolutely fascinating. I am always surprised and amused by the degree of dimension that can be achieved, a feeling that one can almost reach into a painting and touch the objects in a still life, or possibly catch the eye of the subject in a portrait.”

Collections

Art Portfolio Links

Copyright Notice

All works of art displayed on this website are protected under Canadian copyright laws and international conventions. No portion of the artists' works or statements may be used, downloaded, reproduced using any means, copied, linked to, or transferred electronically, without prior written permission from each artist.